A dark time in Gotham
by Sevenvoyager
Summary: Simon, Byron and Alain travel to Gotham. Bane, scarecrow and many others will be shaken by their appearance there. The story comes from the universe in the Equallity and Tyranny forum and will mostly be about the Xmen universe. Co-written by: KrazyK's Kaname.
1. Chapter 1

It was a dark time to be in Gotham. Times were changing, but Alain suppose that'd be correct with the fact a bomb was being carted around, the lawless were now the law and the police were trapped below ground. Luckily for him, he was Bane's best men, his inner circle.

"May I have some more tea please with a croissant?" Alain asked the trembling waitress kindly.

The waitress nodded and scrambled off to get the mans order. There was an air about him she did not like at all.

Little Byron dragged Simon across the street. "But daddy, I'm hungry and you promised we would meet someone and I could pull a prank!" Byron whined to his father. The nine year old was tired of waiting, he was hungry, bored and he had no idea what they were doing in Gotham anyway.

Simon ruffled Byron's hair. "Patience, By, he's here." Entering the cafe, he smiled at the waiter who stammered for them to be seated. Completely ignoring the waiter, he grinned and tugged his son along.

Alain was playing with the salt and pepper dispensers, mind unfocused.

Byron looked around with interest. That man seemed to be afraid of them. Now how to use that to his advantage? Oh the pranks he could pull on that guy.

He saw a dark man sitting a little further, he seemed to be playing with his salt and pepper dispensers. Getting an idea, he created a pitcher of milk out of energy and had it fall into the mans lap. He held a hand to his mouth to contain his giggling. Now let's see what else he could do...

The waitress came back with Alains tea and croissant. Very afraid of the now drenched man she quickly set the items on it and ran off to find a towel.

Alain stood up slightly, cursing in French as he took in his soaked attire. Looking around, he saw a little boy trying to hold in his giggles and...

Simon grinned like a Cheshire cat. "How's it hangin', little brother?"

Byron couldn't contain his laughter anymore and laughed wholeheartedly at his father's brother. "Hiya, I'm Byron." He said rather mischievously, green eyes twinkling with merit and mischief.

Byron continued looking around, there weren't many interesting people to pull pranks on, aside from that waiter. He created a wall from energy in front of the waiter and laughed when the man walked straight into it. Clutching his bleeding nose the waiter ran towards the back to get it checked.

Byron got bored really quickly again and sighed waiting for his dad to get him some food.

Alain blinked owlishly at Simon before shrugging. Doomsday was upon them, if he was going to die, why not indulge? Jerking his head at Byron, he asked, amused. "I see your spawn inherited your childhood pranking nature..?"

Simon shrugged, taking a seat. "I was a prank amateur, he's a genius." The waitress came back and looked ready to have a seizure. "Coffee for me with a donut, same for my boy only make it tea."

"Hey! I have a name! And you didn't tell me yours and that's rude!" Byron said as he glared at Alain and crossed his arms. He hated it when adults ignored him, he was a kid but he wasn't stupid. He knew what they were talking about.

"Dad, why can't I have coffee, it's not fair." He asked Simon pouting. After all his mother gave him lattes, whenever his dad wasn't looking that was.

Alain chuckled, amused. "I'm Alain DuBois. Just call me Boden for now..." Simon mouthed his name. "Byron. Ya can call me Unc, Uncle or Oncle, too if you want."

Simon raised an eyebrow at his boy. "Ya want coffee too, huh? Fine. Make it two coffees with a donut each and keep it coming."

"Oncle Alain it is!" Byron replied happily as he made himself a walking toy soldier out of green spectrum energy.  
He patiently waited for his coffee and good to arrive.

"I can make anything I want out of energy, what can you do?" He, asked Alain rather curious about his Powers.

Alain smiled slightly. "Mainly, I'm an Empath, I feel your emotions and can manipulate or fabricate them. But, if necessary, I can use my tattoos like a tracking device..." he rolled up his sleeves to show two young, frightened boys in impressive detail. "To figure out if they're mutants." He rolled his sleeves back down as the waitress arrived with the Boyce family's order. "I can mimic another mutant's power and I can create illusions to fool five of your senses."

"Must be pretty handy to keep you in the human's, Bane's, favor?" Simon half asked, half stated, pouring a little cream in his drink.

Alain shrugged carelessly. "Perhaps."

Byron listened and watched Alain in fascination. "That's so cool!" He said grinning as he started on his donut and poured cream and put sugar in his coffee.

"Dad when are we going to do something fun? Am I getting another lesson today?" Byron asked his father. Alains story could only keep him entertained for o long.

Simon ruffled Byron's hair. "Why not now?" Winking at their returning waitress, he was amused when she lunged at the startled waiter who let out a shocked cry.

Alain chuckled. "Teachin' the kid the ropes, eh? If you're really interested and got the time, we could snatch up some cops to... play with for old time's sake?"

Byron laughed at the waiter and waitress obviously amused at their shock and pain.  
He turned to his father when Alain suggested they go play with some cops. "Can we dad? Please? This place is boring."

Simon looked at Alain measuringly before nodding, finishing his coffee quickly, wrapping his half eaten donut in paper towels. "Lead the way."

Alain stuffed his croissant in his mouth, swallowed it down with tea and opened the cafe door. "Hurry up, if we're lucky, we can get the hothead rookie, Blake."

Byron took a sip of his coffee and stuffed his donut into his mouth before running after Alain. He was bouncing with excitement. He had a feeling he'd get a big lesson today and he loved it. "Dad hurry up! You're going to miss it!"

Simon chuckled and hurried after his brother and son. For once, things were right.

Byron bounced after Alain and grinned happily. "So where are we going to find this Blake, what's his weakness? Where should we hit him, long distance or short range? Are we going to use special methods or old fashioned ones?" Byron fired away his questions to get as much information as possible.

Alain eyed Byron with amusement. It really was like seeing Simon in kid form again. Before he could answer, a bullet grazed his cheek and he pushed the child towards the father. Half turning, he saw it was the rookie in question, gun still raised. "There's no technique necessary for idiots like this one, you just hit him - hard." Stomping the earth, he kicked it at the detective who cursed and dodged.

"Watch carefully. This is how you get a fish to squirm." Simon murmured in Byron's ear.

Byron nodded all hyped up. The bullet didn't scare him. Uncle Vic was way more scary. He watched in anticipation as Alain got closer to the cop. He kinda hoped he could get a blow in as well. "It's always fun to see the fish squirm, right dad?" Byron asked his father when he looked up.

Simon's eyes twinkled with amusement and pride. "Always, son."

Alain had made short work of the human and kicked his gun away, ridding him of anything that could be a weapon and stomped on his leg so he couldn't run. "We'll keep you alive for a long time and when we get bored, we'll let go of you, maybe." He whispered cruelly to Blake who glared defiantly at him. "Ya want to play, By?"

"Would I?" Byron said grinning. Now the fun could really start. Byron smirked as he walked up to the cop and deliberately stepped on his leg and turned his foot so the mans broken bones would grind together in a very painful way. "Now what are we going to do with you?" Byron asked as he cocked his head to the side. So many things he could do.

Blake gritted his teeth and tried not to cry out. Alain broke his index finger, relishing in his short scream and quick inhale-exhale. "We're asking you how you'd like to be tortured. Please be polite."

Blake turned furious eyes on the empath. "Fuck you." Simon smacked him. "No swearing in front of my son."

Byron grinned and had a heavy block fall down on Blake's broken leg. The heavy crunching sound was like music to his ears. He sat down on it, relishing in the crunching sounds that followed.

He made a knife out of energy and started carving shapes with it on the mans arms. When Blake tried to jerk his arms away. He kicked the man in the nuts. "Stop moving, you idiot!" He said rather amused at the mans pain.

Blake was screaming now. Alain had forgotten how exhilarating it was to see someone else suffer, but mainly humans though. Covering his throat with his hand, he froze his lungs partially.

Simon was snapping pictures and even considered recording the event.

Byron grinned and stomped a foot on Blake's fingers breaking them in the process. He grabbed his knife tight and stabbed Blake's hand palm with it. "You know, I never really liked cops. They are annoying." He twisted the knife. "Obnoxious." He pulled the knife out and stabbed Blake's other hand palm. "And a general pain in the ass." He said before breaking Blake's other fingers.

"How about you Oncle?"

Alain was full out grinning. Turning to Simon, he said, "I like this kid!" Simon chuckled, recording their work so Adeline could see it later. "Truth be told, I'm not a fan of cops either. Most get a big head and become corrupt or saintly." He cut Blake's torso open. "It's really quite annoying, By."

"It is isn't it oncle? I find I just want to stab a cop." Byron stabbed a kidney with his knife. "And kill one." He said as he stabbed the other kidney.

"What do you think? Should we let him live? Or stab his liver and watch him slowly bleed to death?"

Alain cocked his head to the side, mulling over his answer. "Hmm...Well, we don't want him to recover." With a shrug, he looked into Blake's glazed eyes. "Let's kill him." Simon zoomed in on his phone, this would likely be interesting.

Byron grinned and stabbed Blake's liver, knowing it would slowly poison the mans blood now. He stabbed one of Blake's longs before starting to cut some major blood vessels drawing out the mans death for as long as possible as he slowly watched the light in the mans eyes go out.

"Say bye, to your pathetic life human." Byron spat at the man. His smirk slowly growing wider and wider as the child watched the man in front of him die.

Simon made sure he got a good view of Byron in his full glory before turning the camera to himself, a wide smile on his lips. "Let's have another kid as cool as this one, please, my Goddess?" In the background, Alain laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Byron grinned and ran over to his father tugging on his sleeve. "Tell mom I want a sister!" He said enthusiastically.

Simon ruffled Byron's hair. "You heard our boy, he wants a sister. We definitely have to get on that!" Alain could not stop laughing.

"Dad, where do babies come from?" Byron decided to ask. The nine year old had an idea, but he wanted to see his father squirm a little. He gave a thumbs up to Alain behind his back and looked up to his father with an innocent and expectant look.

Simon paled. "Uhhh..." Alain laughed loudly, rolling on the snowy ground in stitches. "Yes, 'Daddy', where do babies come from?"

"Well?" Byron asked. "When I asked mommy last time, she said to ask you. So now I ask." The nine year old said.

Simon stared at the phone. "We are having a serious talk." Clicking his phone off, he slid it in his pocket and kneeled before his child. "Well, son, when two people, a man and woman love each other very much, they do some um things in the bedroom, preferably locked and a baby is born."

"So how's the baby born? Cause if it involves a man and a woman in a bedroom, I doubt the stork brings it like aunt Evelyn said." Byron asked rather confused. He knew babies came out of a mommy's belly. Mommy had told him that, actually, mom had explained everything to him.

Alain started laughing again. Simon wanted to wring Evelyn's skinny neck. "That is a lie, something you tell kids so they don't get curious. I don't know what a freakin' stork is!" He calmed down. "I was waiting till you were sixteen with your own girl or boyfriend but whatever. A baby comes when you put your penis in a girl's vagina, you shoot white liquid known as sperm into her and nine months later, you have a kid of your own."

"Oh well that's good, at least you and mom have your stories straight!" Byron said happily before he walked to his uncle to give him a high five.

Alain high fived Byron, smiling. "You're my favorite kid out of this generation." Simon merely shook his head.

"Just admit it Dad, I got you this time!" Byron said laughing. "Hey oncle Alain, what else can we do?" He asked Alain with a big smile on his face.

"Okay, okay, you got me. Fooled your old man, so cruel." Simon said dramatically, a smile on his lips. "Well, if you're not scared, you could meet my lovers Bane and Jun?"

"Why would that scare me? I just tortured and killed a guy and I walked in on Tjin and Aloysius once. I don't think they'll scare me." Byron replied in a rather smart ass type of tone.

Alain threw his head back and laughed. Simon's clone, indeed. "Very well. No killing the grunts though, Talia will throw a fit." Simon was amused as the empath shot his lovers a text. "You're fucking the leader of a terrorist group?" Alain shrugged. "Co-leader and yep, he's intelligent and sexy, what's not to like?"

Byron looked rather bored again as the adults started talking. His short attention span kicking in once again. He sighed and leaned into his father. Burying his face in his father's shirt. "Can we go now?" He whined, hoping they'd get some action soon.

Both Simon and Alain shared amused looks. Alain broke the window of the closest car, killed the alarm system and hotwired it. "Then let's go, shortie. If you're that bored, we can probably see a sentencing afterward and you can be the judge instead of that annoying prick, Scarecrow."

"Yay!" Byron cheered as he dragged his dad towards the car. "Come on dad, come on. Hurry up!"

Simon allowed his son to drag him, supremely amused. "You've got a lot of clout around here." Alain started the once everyone was in. "Perhaps so." The empath acknowledged, driving fast, hitting civilians whenever possible and before long, they were in front of a hotel where several of Bane's men were standing guard. "Pleasure to see you, Boden."

Alain nodded, flashing them a smile. "Likewise. They top floor again?" The man nodded. "Yes, but who are they?" Alain grinned. "Didn't ya know Bane's pretty serious with Jun and I, therefore he's got to meet the family." His eyes briefly became hardened. "That a problem?" The man shook his head fearfully. "N-N-No, please go on up."

Byron happily waved at the guard "Bye Bye" He said grinning before making a baseball bat from energy and making it smack the guy right in the nose. He turned back around with a huge smirk on his face and sat back in his seat. "So oncle Alain, You seem to be a pretty important guy around here right?" He asked as he leaned forward. Now sitting in between the drivers and passenger seats.

"That's right in a way. For a human, Bane is pretty impressive and scary to some, but since that's rarely enough, I had to hold my own, by whupping any of his followers who were skeptical of me and getting rid of any opposition that threatened his reign." Stepping out of the car, he patted the injured man's shoulder, taking the stairs two at a time. "Y'all comin'?"

"Let's go." Simon suggested, half out his seat.

Byron nodded and climbed out of the car before running up to his father. Feeling a little shy he held his fathers hand as they continued on foot. This was a little exciting and perhaps just a little scary, even though he'd never admit it.

"It'll be alright." Simon promised, attuned to Byron's feelings - he was his son, he would know about his fears, but he was confident Alain could keep this humans leashed and if not, he would.

Together, all three got on an elevator and rode to the top floor and sitting in a chair, reading a book was Bane, Jun was cleaning his gun.

Alain cleared his throat and Bane closed his book, standing up slowly till he rose to full height. And he was huge, Simon acknowledged distantly, the black face mask made him intimidating but strangely, Simon felt no fear.

"Welcome to Gotham." Bane said simply, his voice strange and mechanical, yet indifferent. His huge hands reached out and gently, Simon could tell, very gently, caressed the left side of Alain's face. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, after all, you're of the people."

Byron came out from behind his father to look at Bane with almost disappointed look to him. 'What an anti climax, Uncle Vic's way bigger and scarier.' He thought to himself as he sighed and looked around the room, trying to find something interesting.

Byron settled on Jun and stood a few feet away from him as he watched the other man clean his gun. "That looks cool, can I try?" He asked Jun curiously.

Jun looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That depends, will you shoot yourself accidentally, brat? I don't know any medical techniques or whatever it's called, so if you do, you're on your own."

Alain chuckled as Bane's hands roamed. "B-Be, ungh, n-nice, that's my nephew." Simon shook his head, amused that they were getting frisky.

"He ain't the President so I don't care. Even if he was, I'd not give a shit."

"I won't, Tjin and grandpa taught me how to shoot. I'll bet I can shoot better then you." Byron countered. This guy was rude, he'd show him. His competitive streak was playing up, and he wasn't about to let this jerk win.

Jun rolled his eyes before handing over his gun, snapping his fingers towards the guy guarding the door. The guard opened the door and pulled in a businessman and woman then placed a single pebble on their head. "Shoot the pebble off and I'll give ya two hundred dollars. Miss and ya shut up."

"You can do it, By." Simon said simply.

Byron took the gun and took of the safety pall. He aimed it and slowed his breathing down like the snipers had taught him. He shot the first pebble of the mans head without any problem. He then aimed his gun to the woman and repeated the process. He aimed, slowed down his breathing, focused and fired.

The second pebble was shot off the woman's head cleanly. Byron smirked, put the safety back on and held out a hand to Jun. "Pay up." Was all he said.

"You confuse what pebble I meant, but since I didn't clarify..." he nailed both targets in the brain with a dagger and pulled out the cash. "We'll chalk that up to inexperience." Jun said with a grin.  
"That's my boy!" Simon said proudly, ignoring Jun's words.

Byron sneered at Jun and snatched the cash out of Juns hand. "Stupid A hole, what I did was way more impressive." He muttered before walking back to his father. "I could've done that, piece of cake."

Byron kept glaring at Jun as he leaned back against his father. He didn't like the guy, at all. He didn't get what oncle Alain saw in him.

Jun was amused and his tough guy persona dropped. "I'm just fuckin' with ya, kid. Damn, your relatives are hard to win over, Alain."

"The ones that matter like you, calm down." Alain said soothingly, rubbing his shoulders and he relaxed further. "Bane, my brother and short stack want to see a sentencing, that okay?"

"It matters little to me." Bane said in his way of agreement.

"Yes." Byron whispered happily. He grinned at Bane and Alain, now if only he could say the punishments, he had some really good ones to.

Simon was amused by his son's reactions. Alain and he exchanged glances and the empath nodded. "Maybe Byron could be the judge just this once? Scarecrow's little show is getting a bit tired..." he wheedled the bigger man, biting his lip and cocking his head. Bane knew he was being manipulated, he was extremely intelligent, of course he knew, but he only wanted to keep his lovers happy, so... "Very well. I'm certain your nephew can handle the responsibility."

Byron practically bounced in his place and grinned at his dad. "Alright, this'll be fun!" He said grinning. "So, when's the show starting?" He asked Alain and Bane. He wanted to have some fun, if he could torture some people in the process, well that was even better.

"Twenty minutes. No time to waste." Bane barely twitched a finger yet his men knew what to do. Barking orders, they went about securing the place so no police could get in, Jun put the safety on his gun and strapped his tanto's to his back, then put on his customary black trench coat. Alain was in the middle of his lovers and they moved all moved in sync with catlike grace, silent yet deadly.

Simon tugged his son along. Once they got to the first floor and in one of those heavily armored trucks, they were on their way to the court house. Bane had some words with Scarecrow who although angry and humiliated that he'd been upstaged by a child, a CHILD, he knew better than to test the higher power here.

"Your time to shine, kid." Jun murmured as several officers were brought in. The audience, prisoners and low lifes watched with interest as the script had changed. No one knew how important Byron was and why he seemed to have the authority now.

Byron grinned happily and actually had the nerve to wave at scarecrow as he walked past him. He was enjoying this, And he couldn't wait to lay down some sentences. Once he stood on stage he looked around into the sea of people. A little intimidated by the sheer force of it. But determined not to show any fear. He stood tall, banged his gavel and addressed the audience.

"Hi, I'm Byron and I'll be the judge today. Well, I don't like diddly dadling so, Let's bring in the first defendant!" He spoke clearly.

Some of Bane's men pushed an obese officer forward. The officer, once seeing Byron, looked confused and hopeful. "Little boy, little boy, won't you please have mercy? I've done nothing wrong. I have children to feed and a house to pay the bills for."

Byron looked unimpressed and raised an eyebrow at the man. He leaned forward a little and beckoned the man closer. "How is that my problem? What did you do anyway?" He asked rather bored.

The obese officer looked panicked while the lowlifes laughed. Still, he hesitantly shuffled forward. "Well, I may have stolen some of the food from the people and beaten a weaker member of Bane's thugs, but it's no different than whatever they do to us!"

Byron looked rather bored at the man and rolled his eyes. God this guy was pathetic, seriously.

"Again, how is that my problem? Mr. You got the wrong kid in front of you. I got a good one for you. Cut off his right hand, break all bones in his left hand and then sow his mouth shut so he can't talk anymore, next!" Byron hammered his gavel into his podium and waved the man bye.

Simon and Alain burst out laughing. "That's my boy! God, I love that kid." Bane's men dragged the shell shocked man off to do as Byron instructed before shoving a couple more people in front of him.

Byron looked at the people in front of him and sure hoped one of them did something remotely interesting.  
"Alright one by one, what did you do?" Byron asked, even though he was just asking it for a formality really.

"We were apart of Larson's team to do the same thing. We're just scavengers trying to make ends meet. Please, spare us!" The skinny officer begged.

Byron yawned and rolled his eyes. "My god man, what kind of wuss are you? I got more balls then you do!" And that gave the idea. "Cut off their right hands, crack this guys balls in a workbench and find some creative torturing to do to the others, next!"

Byron brought down his gavel again and waved the row of men off.

Simon was once again recording Byron in his glory, Jun had found some candy to snack on, and Alain was clapping, encouraging the boy along with the rest of the crowd. Just as Gordon and his merry gang of righteous zealots entered.

"A boy is going to be my judge, eh? Not likely, kid go back to elementary school." As usual, Gordon was leading the group, giving the others strength.

Byron grinned menacingly at the man, finally some fun!  
"Really now, that's what you think?" He asked smirking.

"Why don't you tell me what it is you did and I'll use my high school knowledge to judge you. Or is that too difficult for you to understand?" Byron was having the time of his life.

"I'm not afraid to die and my men are not afraid. This is OUR city, Batman WILL return, and peace will be restored." Gordon said strongly, voice unwavering. "Do your worst." His eyes were clear of fear.


	3. Chapter 3

"In that case, your funeral. Because you my friend have a play date with, my family! As for the others kill them in the most creative and painful way possible." Byron yelled gleefully. He had a victim it seemed. "We got anyone left?"

The others carted off Gordon's men and Alain was went to stand by Bane, unable to stomach the thought of killing him as he'd only seen Oncle Henri in him, Simon understood and Jun was given the phone to record them with. "Let's give your mom a show."

Byron grinned and nodded. "Can we do it here? To set an example? "The nine year old asked his father.

Simon smiled, placing a restraining hand on Gordon's shoulder. "It's the perfect stage." He agreed.

Byron grinned as he made chains and restraints out of energy and bound them around Gordon. He anchored the chains into the floor and made a mouth wrench out of energy to keep Gordon's mouth open. "You had a quick tongue my friend. Let's see how you date without it." Byron said smirking as he made a knife and stepped closer.

Gordon resisted because his mind said he should, Simon forced him to hold still. Jun shook his head. "Screw Seed of Chucky, it's Seed of Simon people should be wary of." The Korean muttered.  
"Your nephew. He is a brilliant torturer and he hasn't even started." Bane mused. "If that's an insinuation that he takes after me, that's false." Alain grinned.

Byron slowly, tortuously cut out the mans tongue, grinning when he saw blood. He dangled the tongue in front of the man. "Now I think I should make you eat this. But let's get the crowds opinion shall we?" Byron turned to the crowd. "What do you say, should he eat it?!" He yelled.

The crowd was loud, their raised voices like hyenas. "Eat it! Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!" Gordon's eyes still showed no fear. Fearless men were hard to break.

Byron grinned and shoved the tongue back into his throat, no doubt choking the man.  
Byron walked up to his father and whispered into his ear. "This guys being boring, how can we break him?"

Gordon choked and gagged, furiously trying to spit the appendage out. Simon rifled through his clothes until he came up with a wallet of his family. "You hit him where it out hurts the most." Tapping his finger to his forehead, and actived his mutation, watching his eyes cloud over and dampen then he began to scream.

Byron laughed and clapped, amused at the mans screams. He jumped briefly when an arrow embedded itself in the stage inches from him. Once he recognized the feathers on the arrow he turned around grinning. In the middle of the audience stood his mother, looking rather proud at her boys.

Simon grinned as he saw his Goddess, his lover, his Adeline. "Here to join the party?" The question is so blasé that Alain can't help laughing.

"I can't believe you started without me. I see your using your illusions on the man, so what's he seeing?" Adeline asked casually as she came up behind him and wrapped an arm around him. She ruffled Byron's hair and smiled down at him.

"You having fun are you?" She asked her boy. Byron nodded grinning. "You bet I am! Dads making him scream, it's like listening to Beethoven."

Simon smiled with a half shrug. "What better torture is to know that regardless of how you struggle, you fail? His wife, his son, all dead. He has the detonator and has pressed the button. Such a lovely blaze..."

"And that's why I married you, you are a brilliant man with a knack for torturing people." Adeline replied with a chuckle.

She smiled at Byron who looked anxious to get on with his torturing of the man. "Go on, show me what you can do." She encouraged him.  
Byron grinned and started making cuts in the mans face, simulating cuts that would have been made by bomb fragments. When this guy came out of that illusion, he'd really look like he'd been there.

Adeline watched her boys with pride etched on her face. She gave a nod to Alain, Bane and Jun and continued watching her boys.

Simon cut open his back and ran his fire from his lighter over the flesh revealed before lighting up a cigarette, content to watch Byron watch. "That's a family that enjoys what they do." Bane commented lightly. Alain nodded, agreeing wordlessly. Jun is captivated by the morbid family picture.

Byron watched the man's pained expressions with an amused look to him. He'd been shown these torturings since he was five years old. At first he was scared and to afraid to participate. But before long the assassin's blood in him had awoken and he helped his parents torture others. At age 7 he'd killed his first victim and now at age 9 he even assasind others for money, supervised by one of his parents, of course. But he realized he was different from others his age.

He took sophomore classes at high school level, he very smart for his age. And as he looked at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but feel better then this low life. He was a mutant, he was stronger, better and deserved to live. Unlike this guy.

Byron looked to his father and smiled. "Just give me the sign." He simply said.

Simon exhaled cigarette smoke and smiled. "Kill him." He said simply.

Byron grinned and grabbed his knife he plunged it into the mans chest cut open his torso and cut out his heart. He laughed when the man fell dead at his feet. He held up the heart for the crowd to see. The child was covered in blood but didn't seem to mind at all. Byron grinned at scarecrow and waved at him showing off his newly acquired human heart. That was one for his collection.

Scarecrow looked ready to be ill and the crowd was hushed. Except for someone clapping. Bane.

Byron grinned and waved at Alain. Not understanding why everyone, Aside from Bane and his parents went really quite. What was wrong with them? He walked over to his parents. His mother took the heart from him and put it into a plastic bag she's been carrying with her.

Byron pulled his fathers sleeve. "Why did everyone go quite? Didn't they like the show?"

Simon ruffled his hair affectionately. "They don't appreciate talent." Alain waved back at the boy enthusiastically and Jun joined Bane in his clapping. The crowd was murmuring and edging away.

"Don't pay attention to them By, you were great." Adeline encouraged her son and it work for Byron smiled and hugged his parents. "But you are going to have to take a bath, soon." She said rather amused.

Byron nodded and sighed. "Okay, btw mom Can I have a sister?"

Adeline let out a little laugh at that. "We'll see." She simply said smiling as she ushered her boys to Alain, Bane and Jun.

"Sorry to come to town and steal your thunder." Simon said sheepishly. Alain snorted. "No one says that anymore. We're old, no need to broadcast it." Jun stifled a snort. Bane shook his head. "It's of no consequence. Would your son mind joining the League of Shadows?" Such talent shouldn't waste.

"What's the league of shadows?" Byron asked confused. If he was going to join something he wanted to know what it was.

Adeline just raised an eyebrow and looked at Simon. She wanted to know his opinion on this.

"A league of assassins that cleans up the filth of society, like Gotham." Bane said plainly. "Uhh, we're more freelance, big guy. When By's a bit older and independent, let's talk again, okay?" Simon wasn't sold on the "league's" ideology. Bane merely nodded again.

Adeline nodded happy with the decision, she wasn't really keen on the league either. "Well then gentlemen, I believe everything here is done." She half stated half asked. Her face and voice both had a 'you don't dare to mess with me' tone to it.

Byron nodded at the adults. He wasn't sure about that league, he liked freelancing. "Perhaps some other time. I have a lot to improve on first." He simply answered.

Alain nodded seriously. "Yeah, you guys should get outta here. If we have our way, Gotham goes up in ashes pretty damn soon. We're hopping the pond for a new town to terrorize."

"Be seeing ya, kid." Jun waved. Bane nodded curtly. "Until next time."

Byron waved as his mother started leading him away. "Bye! See ya oncle Alain!"

"Simon are you coming?" Adeline asked her husband as she waited for him briefly.

Simon hesitated. "I wish..." Only now, he realized the beginnings of wrinkles on Alain's face, the wisdom in his laugh lined eyes. Alain smiled, shaking his head. "I've got nothing but time big brother. I choose if I live or die." And it was true, some mutations he'd used so often, they were permanent, specifically a certain feral's, Jun had superhuman longevity as his main mutation. "See ya 'round." Simon waved.

Adeline smiled and waited for Simon to catch up. "He'll be alright, love." She said softly as she guided Byron out the door.

Simon nodded, choking on relief, sadness, happiness, guilt. "Yeah, I know. If I didn't say I love you, I'm saying it now." Many things were still broken but they had nothing but time.

Adeline smiled at her husband and child. For once things seemed to be going right for them. She watched Byron run off in front of her, for now really being a nine year old again. The boy was laughing and running as he splashed into puddles of water.

She sighed happily and kissed Simon's cheek. "I love you to" She said softly as the family walked off into the sunset. Many things were still broken indeed. But they had nothing but time.


End file.
